A Tour of the World’s Largest Toyota Land Cruiser Museum
Moving along, you will find a selection of FJ 45 pickups. They are regular cab pickups with the FJ Cruiser look and off-road capability of the 40s series models.
These different models and cabs illustrate how Williams sees Toyota.
“They are a solution provider,” Williams says. “Whether you need a two-door truck, a four-door truck or a wagon, they are all available under the Land Cruiser name.”
Next, a collection of late 60s and 70s four-door wagons in various degrees of restoration or original allow you to see how Land Cruiser’s evolved. They became larger to accommodate growing families as well as serving as tour buses or for guide services. Williams says many people confuse these wagons with International Travelall.
Finishing up the vintage line of Land Cruisers, there is another row of wagons moving into the 60s series which came out in the 1980s. They are still wagons, but with a more modern look and improvements in performance as well as interior improvements. Also, they are highly sought after.
“The 60s series is the still the most collectible Land Cruiser series in the U.S.,” Williams explains. “For a lot of years, you could get a rusty, but running FJ 60 for $1,500 or $2,000, but nowadays a rusty one is worth $4-5,000 and a really clean one, you are talking high teens and up.”
Next, a row of 70s series Land Cruisers awaits the visitor. This is the replacement for the heavy-duty, short wheelbase, utilitarian 40s series and was launched in 1984. The 70s series is still available today. It comes in many different varieties like two-door, four-door, hard top, soft top, etc… Whatever configuration of Land Cruiser you need, they likely offer a version.
Unfortunately, none of these 70s series were offered in the U.S. and just a few were offered in Canada called the BJ 70, a non-turbo diesel which, naturally, is on display at the museum in both a factory hard and soft top.
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ext up is the 80s series with a 1987 FJ 80 40th Anniversary model with its new styling, coil suspension and nicer interior features. This model met a lot of pushback when it came to market.
“When this first came out, Land Cruiser enthusiasts quickly disowned it,” Williams said. “It became known as the soccer mom mobile. Flash forward to now and it is known as one of the most robust, best of breed vehicles great on the road and fantastic off-road.”
Williams says they are easy to modify and the engines have become known for their durability. The 80s series have become known as one of the best off-road vehicles Toyota has ever made.
Then comes the 90s series wagons with either a two-door or four-door variant called a Prado. They are basically the same thing as 1990s Toyota 4Runner, yet with Land Cruiser badging.
Finishing off the wagons are 100s series Land Cruisers with the major change with a independent front suspension and is a favorite for those who like overlanding Williams says.
After the wagons, a collection of unique vehicles line the last row. Within this row is a collection of one-off builds, mini-Cruisers, Blizzards, FJ Cruiser, a Japanese fire truck, Mega Cruiser (a Humvee like military vehicle) and a row of crawlers complete with wild colors and major modifications.
The selection of all these Land Cruisers makes it a must stop for all automotive enthusiasts and restores with the added bonus of really getting to spend time with very unique models.
“That’s one of the special parts of the museum is the ability to look at so many low mile and original Land Cruisers and open the doors,” Williams said. “It is a great place for restorers to come and see exactly how the vehicles would have looked. If you want to learn about Land Cruisers, it is a great place to come spend an afternoon walking through the rows.”
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